Indira Jaising is a force to be reckoned with — full of life, intelligence, conviction, and a desire to change the world. Throughout her career, she has earned the title of ‘first’ many times. In 1986, she became the first woman designated a Senior Advocate by the High Court of Bombay. She was the first Indian woman elected to the UN’s Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, and in 2009 she became the first woman appointed Additional Solicitor-General of the Supreme Court of India. She is a tireless advocate for women’s rights and the rights of the poor and disenfranchised, and her legal career has been marked by important legal victories on issues ranging from guardianship to divorce. Indira is also the founder of the Lawyers Collective, an organization of lawyers, law students and human rights advocates who work to provide ‘expert legal assistance to the underprivileged, especially women and children, workers in the unorganised sector and other members of marginalised groups.’ In this episode, we talk to Indira about her experience as a lawyer in India and we discuss some of the important events that have shaped both the Indian justice system and the fight for gender justice — not only in India, but worldwide.

This episode was written, edited and produced by Kira Allmann, Dr Laura Hilly, Max Harris, and Tom Peach. RightsUp is grateful for the support of the AHRC-TORCH Graduate Fund and Professor Sandy Fredman, as well as all guests who contributed to the episode.